South watch.

Suburb Police Agencies Get Federal Boost

April 01, 1999|By William Presecky, Tribune Staff Writer.

Federal funding to hire additional police officers and for upgrading equipment and technology in area police departments continues to find its way into south suburban coffers, courtesy of U.S. Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) and Jerry Weller (R-Ill.), who reported on the latest disbursements this week.

Included in the list of recent recipients of grants from the U.S. Justice Department's Community Oriented Policing Services program, are Dolton, Park Forest, Glenwood, Flossmoor, South Holland, South Suburban College, Grant Park, Lansing and Lynwood.

The largest of the grants was awarded to Dolton, $675,000, to hire nine police officers.

The grant program pays up to 75 percent of the salaries of the new officers for three years, with the balance to be paid by the police agency.

The equipment and technology grants are for one year.

Because some area communities have been unable to ante up the local funds necessary to accept the grants, Weller said he plans to seek to have the local match lowered to 10 percent, from the current 25 percent, when the grant program is considered for reauthorization next year.

Airport lobby: Weller and Jackson will be part of an Illinois group expected to meet April 15 with U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to make the case for building a south suburban airport "as soon as possible," according to Weller.

The meeting was requested by third airport advocates, including Keep Chicago & Illinois Flying, which has hired former U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon to help the cause.

In addition to members of the Illinois congressional delegation who have been supportive of the airport project, invitations to meet with Hastert have gone out from Weller to Gov. George Ryan and state Secretary of Transportation Kirk Brown.

Hastert has declined so far to take a position on a south suburban airport, which remains a political hot potato because of continued opposition to the project from Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.

"Our hope is to engage the speaker and win his support for a sorely needed airport, which will retain Chicago's status as a world transportation hub and bring thousands of good paying jobs to the south suburbs," said Weller.

Jackson has made the airport's construction the linchpin of his economic development plan for Chicago's South Side and southern suburbs.

Political scrutiny: Former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis pays a visit to the region Friday when he speaks at Indiana University Northwest in Gary about "Private Lives and Public Officials: The New Politics."

The 90-minute address by the former Massachusetts governor is expected to focus on the intense scrutiny of politicians' personal lives and how that impacts the political process. The IU Northwest campus is at 34000 Broadway. Admission to the Dukakis speech is free.

Resident radar: The Mokena Police Department is scheduled to begin its citizen speed-monitoring program Thursday.

After a short briefing, Mokena residents armed with hand-held radar units, on loan from the department, will be able to monitor neighborhood streets for speeders.

The community-based monitoring program is designed to provide police with the data necessary to advise drivers about excessive speed and encourage them to voluntarily slow down.

The notices don't constitute notification that a violation occurred nor do they affect driving records or result in any fines.

Mokena residents who want to participate in the program are asked to contact police Sgts. Don Dreesbach or John Gorman at 708-479-3912.